Book reviews

This book includes the proceedings of a conference held at Downing College, Cambridge, in September 1987, conducted by Mr. Holbrook, Dr. David Lamb and Dr. Wolfe Mays. Most of the contents have already been published elsewhere. Mr. Holbrook, Emeritus Fellow of Downing College, has been a member of Convivium since it began; Dr. Mays was likewise a member for many years; and Dr. Lamb, also at the University of Manchester and the Editor of the Avebury Series in Philosophy, has recently joined us. Several other members attended the conference, which was a part of Mr. Holbrook’s campaign against reductionist and mechanistic views of man. (See his Education, Nihilism and Survival, 1977; Education and Philosophical Anthropology, 1987; Evolution and the Humanities, 1987; Further Studies in Philosophical Anthropology, 1988.) <T>Mr. Holbrook’s contributions are the opening report on the conference, at the end of which are printed comments by some of the other participants; a reprint of a paper from The British Medical Journal, 1985, on “Medical Ethics and the Potentialities of the Living Being;” and the two concluding surveys, “A Hundred Years of Philosophical Anthropology” (reprinted from The Sources of Hope, R. Fitzgerald, ed., 1979) and “Changing Attitudes to the Nature of Man: A Working Bibliography.” Dr. Lamb has contributed “The Meaning of Death,” a detailed paper on the medical and moral problems of defining death, deciding that someone has died, allowing someone to die, ending attempts at resuscitation, and the removal of organs, and “Further Considerations of Ethical Problems in Medicine” (reprinted from his Down the Slippery Slope, 1987), on the legal and moral problems of the right to refuse treatment, passive euthanasia, and living wills and Natural Death Acts. And Dr. Mays has contributed “Linguistic Analysis and Phenomenology,” a reduced version of his introduction to Linguistic Philosophy and Phenomenology (W. Mays and S.C. Brown, eds., 1972), with a new appendix on “The Concept of a Person and its Ethical Bearing,” and “Michael Polanyi: Recollections and Comparisons,” a paper from a conference on Polanyi and Phenomenology in 1977 (organized by Convivium) and published in the Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, 1978.


Reviewer's Expert Opinion:
Description: This addition to the Methods in Molecular Biology series has some chapters on clinical management of MRSA infections, but the main emphasis is on the description of the wide array of laboratory methods available for basic and clinical research on MRSA. Purpose: Based on preface, the purpose is Bto provide a comprehensive collection of the most up-to-date techniques for the detection and investigation of MRSA.
[ Given the diversity of the techniques described, the purpose has been fulfilled. Audience: Some chapters cover the clinical and epidemiological aspects of MRSA infection, but the majority of the book is devoted to the multiple laboratory techniques available for technicians and basic scientists. The last group will have a good field manual, and clinicians will have an easy to read book on these techniques. In that sense, the book has two main audiences. Features: From a clinician's perspective, the book describes well the laboratory techniques available for the study of MRSA. With the increasing problem of MRSA infections, and the help derived from these techniques, clinicians will feel comfortable discussing the basic aspects of the science used for research on MRSA. I found the descriptions on pulse-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome analysis very useful. These techniques are used widely in clinical research, and are a good starting point to understanding the literature. In addition, the use of these techniques will be extended to the daily practice in the near future. Other chapters, like biofilm formation and proteomic analysis, are interesting and might be an introduction to a more formal training for a neophyte. Most chapters have illustrations in black and white, which are helpful in the overall discussion, and all chapters have a bibliographic list. It would be a good idea to share the contents of this book with your laboratory section. The field of molecular biology is a moving target, and new techniques or improvement of old methods are incorporated on a daily basis. The clinical chapters try to put things in perspective, but clinicians could find better sources for the medical management of patients with MRSA infections. Assessment: This is not an all inclusive book on the clinical and laboratory management of MRSA infections, but it is a good starting point for clinicians and novice scientists in the world of MRSA infections.

DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Editor: Kewal K. Jain, MD

Reviewer's Expert Opinion:
Description: This is a how-to book of cutting-edge technologies in drug delivery systems written by a team of experts in pharmaceutical sciences from academia and industry. Purpose: The aim is to publish descriptions of selective technologies used in drug delivery systems. Important new technologies, such as nanoparticles, and new therapeutic applications are included. This goal is well developed by these experts. Audience: This book is written for pharmaceutical scientists working in academia or industry. It contains useful information for pharmaceutical physicians and scientists in many disciplines, including chemical engineering, protein engineering, and gene therapy, who have an interest in drug delivery systems. Features: A concise overview of drug delivery systems begins the book, followed by chapters dealing with the use of adeno-associated virus capsid in gene transfer, delivering small interfering RNAs for novel therapeutic actions, the use of catheters for the chronic administration of drugs into brain tissues, transdermal drug delivery systems, protein particles that are engineered for pulmonary drug delivery, a new technology to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier, the use of liposomal technology for the delivery of anticancer drugs, the use of pH responsive nanoparticles for the delivery of anticancer drugs, and advances in extended-release technologies for oral medications. Each chapter discusses the principles, detailed experimental protocols, and results of drug delivery of the technique. Assessment: This is a powerful reference that provides concise and systematic description of drug delivery technologies that should be useful for the many companies developing drug delivery technologies as well as academicians who are investigating the principles of drug delivery systems.

Reviewer's Expert Opinion:
Description: Originally published 25 years ago, this wonderful book has evolved into a classic. It is the most comprehensive review of genetic knowledge applied to the clinical practice of medical genetics. The fifth edition comes with a wonderful new look and design that includes unique illustrations and online access. Purpose: Dr. Rimoin and collaborators bring their best work to this latest edition of a must have textbook. They surpass all expectations. Audience: The book is written for a wide audience. The information is essential for medical students, residents, and physicians involved in the care of patients with genetic conditions. It is not only an academic tool, but also a magnificent reference source for detailed information. Dr. Rimoin has assembled an authoring team of high quality. Features: This extremely detailed book is organized by body systems, making searching for particular topics easy. The initial chapters set the tone with a review of historical facts and basic concepts in human genetics. The third chapter introduces the clinical approach to human genetic disorders. Included in this edition is a password for online access to the text. Illustrations are strategically placed in the text and all are superb, including the color plates on the front of volume one. Assessment: This is a book of magnificent quality. Very few books can be compared to this one. This is a must-have textbook with features that make it a unique source for medical geneticists.
Reviewer: Luis F. Escobar, MD, MS (St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center)